long as the river continued wide, but as it contracted the water became
too deep to be breasted by the horses, and they crossed to the opposite
bank. Here, to their great sorrow, their goat and her kid gave out, and
no urging could induce them to proceed. The animals had evidently gone
as far as they were capable, and with sorrow they turned them loose and
left them. The goat's milk had been such an indispensable addition to
their store that they felt as if parting with one of their main
reliances in leaving her behind. Still they pursued their way, avoiding
the hills as much as possible until the sun was high in the heavens;
when becoming weary with their hard ride, and faint for want of food,
they halted in a spot where a cool spring gushed from beneath a huge
boulder that looked as if it had been hurled from a rocky acclivity
above to its bed. Tethering their horses where they could feed, the
|